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South African Census 1991

South Africa, 1991
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Reference ID
zaf-css-census-1991-v1.1
Producer(s)
Central Statistical Service (now Statistics South Africa)
Collections
Statistics South Africa
Metadata
Documentation in PDF DDI/XML JSON
Created on
Oct 22, 2012
Last modified
Jun 12, 2020
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  • Study Description
  • Data Description
  • Downloads
  • Get Microdata
  • Related Publications
  • Identification
  • Version
  • Scope
  • Coverage
  • Producers and sponsors
  • Sampling
  • survey_instrument
  • Data Collection
  • Data Access
  • Disclaimer and copyrights
  • Contacts
  • Metadata production
  • Identification

    Survey ID number

    zaf-css-census-1991-v1.1

    Title

    South African Census 1991

    Country
    Name Country code
    South Africa zaf
    Study type

    Population and Housing Census [hh/popcen]

    Series Information

    Central Statistical Service. Population Census 1991 [dataset]. Version 1.1. Pretoria: Central Statistical Service (now Statistics South Africa) [producer], 2004. Cape Town: DataFirst [distributor], 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25828/hsh2-9x72

    Abstract

    The 1991 South African population census was an enumeration of the population and housing in South Africa.The census collected data on dwellings and individuals' demographic, family and employment details.

    Kind of Data

    Census enumeration data

    Unit of Analysis

    Households and individuals

    Version

    Version Description

    Version 1.1: Edited, anonymised dataset for public distribution.

    Version Date

    2011

    Version Notes

    Version 1.1 is the version downloaded from Statistics South Africa's website on the 28th of April, 2011. It differs from the version downloaded from SSA's website on the 20th of July 2007 (version 1). In the current dataset the South African EA data file and District data files have been merged into one data file.

    The data file "SA Census 1991 PP_20110428_1.1" has been split into 5 files to reduce the size of the files to be downloaded. The new files are: "SA Census 1991 PP_PR1_20110428_v1.1", "SA Census 1991 PP_PR2_20110428_v1.1", "SA Census 1991 PP_PR3_20110428_v1.1", "SA Census 1991 PP_PR4_20110428_v1.1" and "SA Census 1991 PP_PR5to10_20110428_v1.1". Data users who wish to analyze this data at the national level should append the split files to create one dataset.

    Scope

    Notes

    The scope of the South African census 1991 includes the following themes:
    Households: dwelling type, ownership type, type of area (rural/urban)
    Individuals: relationship within household, sex, age, marital status, population group, birthplace, citizenship, duration of residency, religion, education level, language, literacy,employment status, occupation, economic sector and income.

    Topics
    Topic Vocabulary URI
    housing [10.1] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    family life and marriage [12.5] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    gender and gender roles [12.6] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    censuses [14.1] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    migration [14.3] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    religion and values [13.5] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    employment [3.1] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    unemployment [3.5] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    EDUCATION [6] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    income, property and investment/saving [1.5] CESSDA http://www.nesstar.org/rdf/common
    Keywords
    housing family life and marriage gender and gender roles censuses migration religion and values employment unemployment Education

    Coverage

    Geographic Coverage

    The South African Census 1991 covered the whole of South Africa. The "homelands" of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei were enumerated separately and the dataset contains data files for Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei. The dataset does not include a data file for the Transkei as this was never provided by Statistics South Africa.

    Geographic Unit

    The lowest geographic level in the population census 1991 is enumerator area.

    Universe

    The 1991 Population Census was enumerated on a de facto basis, that is, according to the place where persons were located during the census. All persons who were present on Republic of South African territory during census night (i.e. at midnight between 7 and 8 March 1991) were therefore enumerated and included in the data. Visitors from abroad who were present in the RSA on holiday or business on the night of the census, as well as foreigners (and their families) who were studying or economically active, were enumerated and included in the figures. The Diplomatic and Consular Corps of foreign countries were not included. Crews and passengers of ships were also not enumerated, except those who were present at the harbours of the RSA on census night. Similarly, residents of the RSA who were absent from the night were not enumerated. Personnel of the South African Government stationed abroad and their families were, however enumerated. Such persons were included in the Transvaal (Pretoria).

    Producers and sponsors

    Primary investigators
    Name Affiliation
    Central Statistical Service (now Statistics South Africa) Government of South Africa

    Sampling

    Deviations from the Sample Design

    As a result of the unplanned and unstructured nature of certain residential areas, as well as the inaccessibility of certain areas during the preparations for the enumeration of census, comprehensive door-to-door surveys were not possible. The Human Sciences Research Council had to enumerate these areas by means of sample surveys. 88 areas country-wide were enumerated on this basis.

    survey_instrument

    Questionnaires

    The 1991 Population Census questionnaire covered particulars of households: dwelling type, ownership type, type of area (rural/urban) and particulars of individuals: relationship within household, sex, age, marital status, population group, birthplace, citizenship, duration of residency, religion, education level, language, literacy,employment status, occupation, economic sector and income.

    Data Collection

    Dates of Data Collection
    Start End
    1991-03-07 1991-03-08
    Data Collectors
    Name
    Statistics South Africa

    Data Access

    Access authority
    Name Affiliation URL Email
    DataFirst University of Cape Town http://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za info@data1st.org
    Access conditions

    Public use files, available to all

    Citation requirements

    Central Statistical Service. Population Census 1991 [dataset]. Version 1.1. Pretoria: Central Statistical Service (now Statistics South Africa) [producer], 2004. Cape Town: DataFirst [distributor], 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25828/hsh2-9x72

    Disclaimer and copyrights

    Disclaimer

    The information products and services of Statistics South Africa are protected in terms of the Copyright Act, 1978 (Act 98 of 1978). As the State President is the holder of State copyright, all organs of State enjoy unhindered use of the Department's information products and services, without a need for further permission to copy in terms of that copyright. Where a copy of the information is made available to any third party outside the State, the third party must be made aware of the existence of State copyright and ownership of the information by the State. The State (through Statistics SA) retains the full ownership of its information, products and services at all times; access to information does not give ownership of the information to the client. The use of any data is subject to acknowledgement of Stats SA as the supplier and owner of copyright. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) will not be liable for any damages or losses, except to the extent that such losses or damages are attributable to a breach by Stats SA of its obligations in terms of an existing agreement or to the negligence or wilful act or omissions of the Stats SA, its servants or agents, arising out of the supply of data and or digital products in terms of that agreement. The user indemnifies Stats SA against any claims of whatsoever nature (including legal costs) by third parties arising from the reformatting, restructuring, reprocessing and/or addition of the data, by the user.

    Copyright

    Copyright, Statistics South Africa

    Contacts

    Contacts
    Name Affiliation Email URL
    DataFirst Helpdesk University of Cape Town support@data1st.org http://support.data1st.org/

    Metadata production

    DDI Document ID

    ddi-zaf-datafirst-census-1991-v3

    Producers
    Name Affiliation Role
    DataFirst University of Cape Town Metadata Producer
    Date of Metadata Production

    2020-06-12

    Metadata version

    DDI Document version

    Version 5

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